The present invention relates to the discovery and asexual propagation of a new and distinct short day type cultivar of strawberry plant (Fragaria.times.ananassa) plant, which resulted from crossing the selection `NYUS119` as the seed parent and the selection `NJ7910-1` as the pollen parent in 1986 at the Rutgers University Plant Science Greenhouses in New Brunswick, N.J. Both parent plants are unpatented, non-commercial varieties. The complete pedigree of `NJ8614-2` is shown below: ##STR1##
The new cultivar has been designated as `NJ8614-2`. This specific clone was the second of seven selections in the progeny, and was discovered by Gojko L. Jelenkovic in June, 1988 at Rutgers Plant Science Farm 3 in New Brunswick, N.J. The new `NJ8614-2` plant was recognized as being similar to the known (unpatented) `Honeoye` variety with respect to its fruit and production, but distinguishable therefrom and from other known varieties in that it demonstrates multiple disease resistance.
The new plant was designated `NJ8614-2` in the breeding records and was first asexually propagated, by runners, by Gojko L. Jelenkovic in about July, 1988 at Rutgers Plant Science Farm 3. It was recognized and selected as a distinctive and superior clone by Joseph A. Fiola based on extensive testing at the Rutgers Fruit Research and Extension Center in Cream Ridge, N.J.; and by Peter J. Nitzsche based on testing at the Snyder Research and Extension Center in Pittstown, N.J. Limited grower testing started in 1994. The new cultivar has shown to be stable in its distinguishing characteristics over several generations, through successive asexual propagations using runners.